Both seem to need a big sum locked away — the German one about eleven lakh rupees, the Canadian GIC nearly the same. But for my son’s salary, even one lakh feels heavy. So I see no real difference; both are a mountain. My own small tuition fee for Class 10 makes me understand the weight of locked money — every rupee set aside is a chapati less on the plate for a while.

For Indian engineering admissions, it is treated as one subject grade, but our universities focus on your Physics, Chemistry and Maths marks in Class 12 CBSE or state board. My own son, a driver, reminds me that here, the concrete marks on our own board exams are what open doors. So while your IGCSE is good learning, for university here, they will look past it to your next qualification.

I remember my wife and I saving for months to see XXX in Ranchi, the first film we saw on a “multiplex” screen. When the villain’s motorcycle went flying, the entire hall gasped—I can still feel her gripping my arm. These old joints wouldn't survive such stunts now, but the memory sits warmly, like a favourite old chair.

I was listening to the radio news about the new national coach, and I thought of my baba’s betelnut shelf at home